TSA opens precheck enrollment at SFO

Bay City News Service

Posted:
07/23/2014 07:07:40 AM PDT

Updated:
07/23/2014 07:07:40 AM PDT

Travelers who want to move more quickly through airport security can now enroll in TSA Precheck at a new enrollment center at San Francisco International Airport, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

TSA Precheck allows travelers who voluntarily undergo a special prescreening process to go through expedited security screening when they travel.

The expedited security screening lets travelers keep on their shoes and light outerwear, keep their laptop in its case, keep their liquids and gels in their carry-on and pass through dedicated TSA Precheck lanes at more than 115 airports nationwide.

More than 400,000 travelers have enrolled in TSA Precheck across the country, according to the TSA.

Travelers who want to enroll in TSA Precheck must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, the TSA said. The application begins online at universalenroll.dhs.gov by selecting "Pre-Enroll Now" from the TSA Precheck section.

Applicants must then visit an enrollment center in person to verify citizenship or immigration status and provide fingerprints, the TSA said.

The SFO TSA Precheck enrollment center is in the International Terminal near the BART station entrance and checkpoint G, the TSA said. There are also enrollment centers in Oakland, South San Francisco and Martinez, the TSA said.

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"During the application process, travelers will provide basic biographical information about themselves," Fred Lau, TSA Federal Security Director at SFO, said in a statement. "TSA uses that information to pre-screen applicants and, if approved, they become eligible for expedited screening on a consistent basis."

The TSA maintains a list of TSA Precheck eligibility requirements, as well as disqualifying criminal offenses and other actions that would make an applicant ineligible, on its website at www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/eligibility-requirements.

Once enrolled, TSA Precheck travelers will receive a Known Traveler Number, which is valid for five years. The process includes a nonrefundable $85 application processing fee.

The TSA still conducts random security measures, and no individual is guaranteed an expedited screening, according to the TSA.